Site of fatal James Street fire to be torn down this weekend

By By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Apr 29, 2010 at 4:13 PM EDT

Story Updated: Apr 29, 2010 at 5:18 PM EDT

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The James Street apartment building where four people died in a fire in September is finally coming down.

The city's department of public works will demolish 102 James Street on Saturday.

Utica city officials have been at odds with landlord Timothy Klotz over tearing down the building. City engineers declared it unsafe shortly after the fire and have been trying to get Klotz to tear it down ever since.

A city court-imposed deadline to tear it down passed, and now the city is going to demolish it and send the bill to Klotz.

City DPW officials say demolition of the building will begin around 8 a.m. Saturday. The city is waiting for a piece of heavy equipment - an extended crane- - to be delivered from an Albany company. That should arrive on Friday.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

What's On